Tape dispenser



Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAPE DISPENSER Lloyd L. Werth, Rochester, N. Y., assigncr to Eastman KodakCbmpany, Rochester, N. Y., a

corporation of New J ersey Application March 9, 1945, Serial No. 581,917

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to tape dispensers, and more particularly to a strip measuring means for such dispensers.

As is well known, various forms of summed tapes have long been used for sealing containers of various kinds. In order to facilitate the application of the tape, the latter is often supplied by a suitable dispenser which measures out a length of tape, moistens the latter, and'cuts the tape into lengths suitable for use. Where the same length of tape is to be used over and over, some forms of dispensers provide stops which limit the movement of the tape feeding means to thus provide a plurality of successive strips of the desired length. These stopsare not, however, positive; and, due to the constant pounding of the stops caused by the engagement therewith of the spring-actuated carriage or feeding means on its return, tend to become loosened to allow the stops to creep, thus throwing the stop out of adjustment. On some machines, grooves have been provided to allow the use ofset screws to resist the tendency of the stop to slip or creep, but these grooves limit the dimension of the cut tape to within the nearest quarter inch of the length required which is not close enough for some work.

With such devices, the lengths of successive strips will vary due to the slip or creep of the stop so that no two strips will be of the same dimensions. In some instances, this variation is not particularly disadvantageous, but in other cases it is highly undesirable. In any case, however, only strips of approximately one length can be dispensed. In sealing a-rectangular box, it is found, however, that strips of different lengths "are needed, one length for use along the sides, and another length for use on the ends. With prior arrangements, such different length strips could be secured only by resetting the stop for each strip length, or using two separate machines,

each machine being adjusted to dispense a strip of one length.

In order to overcome these disadvantages, the

present invention provides a dispenser having s-tops which are engaged by the feed carriage "-"only during the feeding operation, and hence are not repeatedly subjected tothe jarring incident "to thereturn of the spring actuated carriage or 'feeding means as in prior arrangements, The

result is that the stops of the present invention --'-"inaintain their adjustment and insure the continued dispensing of successive strips of identical "length. 'In addition, the feed carriage is provided with a laterally movable slide member which may be brought successively into selective engagement with differently adjusted stops so as to alternately or selectively dispense strips of different lengths. This result is achieved without altering the' adjustment ofthe stops so that alternate =strlps of different lengths may be repeatedly supepli-ed, the advantages 'of which 'are'apparent. f

"strips of varying lengths, as with dispensers of the prior art. v

The present invention has, therefore, as "its principal object, a dispensing device which is selectively operable to provide strips of di'fierent lengths.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a dispenser of the class describedwhioh will repeatedly dispense strips Whichare accurate in length.

Still another object of "the invention is the provision of limiting stops which are not subjected to creep and which will, therefore, maintain their adjustment so as 'to insure the dispensing of strips which are of the length desired.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be "hereinafter "more fully described, the novel featuresbeing'point'e'd 'out"in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side perspective view of a dispenser showing the relation thereto or -the preferred form of stop and selectorarra'ngementofthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional'view taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the relation of the slide selector to the taped feeding mechanism;

and

Fig. 3 is a'view similar tdFi'g. lshowinga modified form of stop.

The same reference numerals throughout the various views indicate the same parts.

The dispenser shown in the drawings comprises a support formed with opposite-sides -H 'and'a top l2 which cooperate to h'ouse andsupport a roll of gummed tap'e, not shown. 'The'tape'extends from the roll and 'is'passe'd overthe inclined top l2 between a pair of guides l3 which are spaced apart at M to expose a portion'l-s of the tape to the tape feeding means. "The latter comprises a finger-piece 'IB connected to and supported by bent over-ears l! which-slide along the guides It. The piece 1 6' has secured thereto a depending member -lti which extends intothe space "M andinto engagement with the tape f5. Each time the feedingmechanism'iscnoved downwardly along the top l2,-the member'l-S feeds or dispenses a length of tape, the amount soilispensed depending, of -"course, on the amount of movement of the feeding means. -Alter the proper length :has been thus fed, a 'movable lcni fe member is pressed downwardly and cooperates "withastationary knife blade 2' Mo sever the tap "into strips' of suitable length. l

the dispensing of the required length strips.

These stops are so mounted and constructed that they do not move or creep, but, on the contrary, maintain their position thus assuring that repeated operation of the feeding means will provide strips of precisely the same length, aswill be later more fully described.

In the preferred construction, a pair of stops .25 are slidably mounted on rods 26 the ends of which are secured to the opposite sides I I, in any suitable and well-known manner. After the stops had been moved along the rod 26 to their proper position, they are clamped to the rods 26 by means of suitable clamping means, such as a wing nut 21. Thus the stops 25 are securely held in proper position on the rod 26. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, two such stops are shown for the reason to be later described.

In a modified arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the stops 30 are in the form of fingers pivotally or rockably mounted on the rods 26. In this embodiment, the stops 30 are not movable along the rods 26 but rather are positively held against axial movement along the rods, preferably by means of set screws 3| which extend through the bases 32 of the stops and into slots or recesses 33 formed in the rods 26, as best shown in Fig. 3. Of course, the stops 30 may be held in position by any other suitable means. The important thing is that the stops 30 are not adjustable along the rods 26. In order to adapt such a device for use in dispensing a large variety of strip sizes, the stops 30 may be rocked about the rods 28 so as to be moved into and out of operative position. When a strip of a definite length is to be dis- .pensed, the appropriate stop may be moved to overlie the guide 13 so as to be positioned in the path of the feeding mechanism, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The various stops may have marked thereon the strip size corresponding therewith so that the device may be quickly and easily adjusted for the desired strip size without necessitating the use of any measuring means in setting the stops.

The above described stops are of rugged construction, and due to the fact that they are held or retained in position-on the rods 26, they do not tend to creep or move therealong. The result is that each actuation of the feeding mechanism serves to bring a slide member 35, carried by the finger-piece l6, into engagement with the adjusted stops to arrest the movement of the feeding mechanism to dispense a strip of the desired length. As the stops do not move or creep along identical in length will thus be dispensed. It is sometimes desirable or necessary, however, to provide strips of two different lengths such for example, when sealing a rectangular box. in such a case, strips of one length are required for the sides of the box, while strips of another length are required for the ends of the box. The present invention provides an arrangement by which the feeding means may be selectively operated to provide a strip of either length. Furthermore, all strips of one length are of exactly the same dimensions.

To this end, thefinger-pieces [6 have mounted thereon the selector slide member 35 formed with a pair of slots 36 adapted to receive pins or lugs 31 carried by the finger-piece It, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The slide 35 thusmoves downwardly as a unit with thefinger-piece it during -the feeding operation; and, in addition, maybe 7 moved laterally relative the finger-piece to engage a selected stop 25 or 30. This slide 35 may thus cooperate with a pre-selected stop 25 or 30 to feed a strip of. a predetermined length.

To secure this result, any desired numberpf stops, preferably two, are adjusted to correspond to the two strip lengths desired, as illustrated in Figsl and 3. Now, assuming that the shorter of the two strips is to be dispensed first, the slide member 35 is gripped and slid to the left relative to the finger-piece l6, as shown in Figs. 1 and2.

.Now, when the feeding mechanism is moved downwardly along thetop [2 to feed thetape, the slide member 35 will engage the upper. or left-hand-stop 25 or 30 to thus limit the amount of tape fed or dispensed. The'severing means is then operated to cut the tape into the desired. length, such length being of course controlled by the adjustment of the left-hand stop 25 or 33.

After this.operation,.the feeding mechanism is r then released and is returned to its originalpdsition by a suitable spring, not shown. Now, in order to dispense the longer strip, the slide member35 is now slid to the right relative to the member I6 so that upon the downward movement 1 of the feeding mechanism, the slide member will freely pass the upper or left-hand stop. Further downward movement of the feeding means will, however, eventually 'bring' the slide member 35 .into arresting engagement withthe lower or the right-hand stop-to prevent further movement of the feeding means. As the right-hand stop pere length, the advantages of which are obvious.

The pin-and-slot connection between the fingerpiece It and the slide member 35 provides sufficient friction to retain the slide member in-either -of its adjusted positions so that if a different -length'strip is'to be dispensed, the member-35" must be slid laterally to engage the proper stop.

Furthermore, it is important to point out that peated jarring force which tends to move the stops along the rod. In fact, the structure shown in Fig. 3 positively prevents such movement even if a large force were applied. These arraizgements are to be compared with those of the prior art in which the stops are used to limit the return movement of the feeding mechanism, which return is secured by a suitable spring under tension. As the spring is under tension'during the return movement the feeding mechanism or carriage will strike the stop with a jarring action and will tend to move the stops along the side of the machine thus altering its original position of adjustment, the disadvantages of which have been pointed out above, thereby preventing the dispensing strips of identical length.

It will be thus apparent from the above description that the present invention provides a stop arrangement by which the stops are positively retained in their adjusted positions, thus insuring that upon each engagement of the feeding means with a particular stop will always dispense precisely the same length of strip. In addition, the feeding mechanism may be selectively operated to cooperate with one of a number of stops so as to feed strips of different predetermined lengths.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive idea may be carried out in a number of ways. This application is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to cover all variations and modifications thereof falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tape dispenser, the combination with a support for a roll of tape, means for feeding said tape from said roll, means for severing the fed tape into strips, of longitudinally spaced stops movably mounted on said support but rigidly positionable in the path of said feeding means, and means associated with said feeding means and movable lateral relative thereto and adapted to engage selectively said stops at the end of the feeding movement of said feeding means for providing strips of predetermined lengths.

2. In a tape dispenser the combination with a support for a roll of tape, means for feeding said tape from said roll, means for severing the fed tape into strips, of laterally and longitudinally spaced stops movably mounted on said support but rigidly positionable in the path of said feeding means, and a member mounted on said feeding means and movable laterally relative thereto to engage selectively one of said stops at the end of the feeding movement of said feeding means to limit the movement of said feeding means to dis= pense a strip of a predetermined length.

3. In a tape dispenser, the combination with a support for a roll of tape, means for feeding said tape from said roll, means for severing the fed tape into strips, of stops movably mounted on said support but ri idly positionable in the path of said feeding means, and a member slidably mounted in said feeding means and movable laterally thereof so as to engage one of said stops upon operation of said feeding means in the feeding direction to arrest the movement of the latter to dispense a strip of a predetermined length.

4. In a tape dispenser, the combination with a support for a roll of tape, means for feeding said tape from said roll, means for severing the fed tape into strips, of cooperating stationary means on said support and laterally movable means on said feeding means and selectively operable at the completion of the feeding movement of the feeding means to dispense a strip of a predetermined length.

o an

5. In a tape dispenser, the combination with a support for a roll of tape, means for feeding said tape from said roll, means for severing the fed tape into strips, of stops movably mounted but rigidly positioned on said support adjacent the edges of said tape, and a slide carried by said feeding means and selectively movable laterally thereof so as to engage one of said stops upon the actuation of said feeding means to limit the movement of the latter to thereby control the length of strip dispensed.

6. In a tape dispenser, the combination with a support for a roll of tape, means for feeding said tape from said roll, means for severing the fed tape into strips, of a plurality of stops positioned at different points along the path of movement of said feeding means, and a slidecarried by said feeding means and movable selectively laterally thereon to engage successively different stops upon subsequent actuations of said feeding means to dispense strips of different and predetermined lengths.

7. In a tape dispenser, the combination with a support for a roll of tape, means for feeding said tape from said roll, means for severing the fed. tape into strips, of a plurality of stops independently positionable at different points along the path of movement of said feeding means, and a slide mounted on said feeding means and movable as a unit therewith during the feeding operation but selectively movable laterally relative thereto to engage a preselected stop to limit thereby the movement of said feeding means so as to dispense a strip of a predetermined length.

8. In 'a tape dispenser, the combination With a support for a tape roll and comprising opposite sides and a top, feeding means mounted on a top for moving said tape thereover, severing means for cutting said tape into strips, of rods carried by said sides, a stop member adjustably mounted on each of said rods and having a portion overlying said top, said stops being positioned at different points along said sides, and a member carried by said feeding means and movable laterally relative thereto so as to be in position to engage one of said portions upon actuation of said feeding means to limit the movement of the latter to dispense a strip of a preselected length.

9. In a tape dispenser, the combination with a support for a tape roll and comprising opposite sides and a top, feeding means mounted on said top for moving said tape thereover, severing means for cutting said taps into strips, of a rod carried by each side, a plurality of stop members pivotally mounted in spaced relation along each of said rods and selectively movable to overlie said top, and a member carried by said feeding means and movable as a unit therewith durin the tape feeding operation but selectively movable laterally relative to said feeding means so as to be in a. position to engage a selected stop to limit the movement of said feeding means to dispense a strip of a predetermined length.

LLOYD L. WERTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,860,815 Lucks-Osten et a1. May 31, 1932 2,178,722 De Mattia, Nov. 7, 1939 

